15 Red Podcast - Match Analysis

Afternoon Session  Featured Match –  Report Written By Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team  The Defending Welsh Open Champion v The Snooker Shoot Out Champion Shaun Murphy v Ryan Day 4 – 1 Highest Break 133 – Murphy (Frame 2) Frame 1, After Day’s break off shot, that left a red over the bottom left pocket. Murphy potted the red using some amazing cue power on his first shot, with excellent cue-ball control he had very quickly built up a 62-point lead, until the spilt on the small pack of remaining went slightly wrong left on a tricky and risky plant which did not look on, but he tried to make it happen but missed it and left Day in. It was a big ask to get his cue-arm going straight away, but with the break on 28 he missed a black of the spot, he might have taken his eye of the pot thinking about the cannon to move the pink which he did. He was fortunate not to leave Murphy with a pot on. Murphy then potted a brilliant red into the bottom left corner, th...

Morning Session  Featured Match – Report Written By Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team  Yan Bingtao v Xiao Guodong 4 – 1 – Highest Breaks 113 – Guodong 121 (Frame 1), 113 (Frame 3) Xiao Guodong kicked off frame 1, and after Yan Bingtao had played a containing safety shot. Guodong potted a red into the left middle and produced a wonderful century break of 121. It was a superb break with great cue-ball control from the very first shot and his positional play was sublime. He missed the final pink and should have ended the break with a 134, but he had made a sensational start.   Frame 2, Guodong potted a brilliant long red into the bottom right corner and was looking strong and better of the two. He came unstuck with the break on 16 as the cue-ball glued itself to the pack of reds forcing him to play safe, he tapped the cue-ball and a little further into the pack. Bingtao left a touching ball allowing Guodong to play the cue-ball back into baulk, the white...

Featured Match - Match Report Witten By Mad Mikey from The 15 Red Podcast team  John Higgins (6) Ben Woolaston (36)  - Rematch of 2015 Welsh Final  - John’s last tournament victory was the Welsh 2018, a 2 year drought, which is the longest of his career. Frame 1: John opens the match with some solid pots, and forms a break of 101, and a 1-0 lead Frame 2: Ben gets his first pots of the match by making a solid 31, before going in off from the blue. John has opportunity but on 25 missed a black from the spot. After a safety exchange, and the score 46-48, Ben pots all the colours to even up the match at 1-1 Frame 3: John continues his strong potting and break building by making a quick strike 79, more than enough to win the frame and a 2-1 advantage. Frame 4: Both players exchange pots in the early going, before Woollaston missed a red on 13. John was continuing his excellent play by making 58 and good enough for a 3-1 lead. Frame 5: With no room for error, Ben gets his scori...

Wednesday Evening  Featured Match – Report Written By Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team  Judd Trump v Si Jihui  Highest Break 82 - Trump (Frame 3) Si Jihui started off the better of the two, potting a fantastic long red and played of the side of the bunch and ended up missing the yellow, Trump made a break of 8 and missed a long red into the green pocket. Jihul cleared that up and tried snookering Trump behind the yellow but he failed as he hit the brown too hard and the cue-ball rolled just too far which left Trump a long red, that he missed. There were some good tactical shots played, as the opening frame continued to be tight. There was a long period of safety, all the reds were congregating over to the right bottom corner pocket. It was Trump who had first chance but missed a cut on a red to right corner, then Jihul missed a cut on the opposite side. The safety continued, Trump was left a long red which he brilliantly took, after potting the yellow he ...

Wednesday Afternoon Featured Match – Ronnie O’Sullivan v Jimmy White 4 – 0  Highest Break 70 – O’Sullivan (Frame 3) Jimmy White broke off this classic encounter. White refused a pot on the red with his second shot. O’Sullivan missed a long red, White attempted a long pot that he missed. O’Sullivan missed a thin clip on the red and gave away a 4-point foul. O’Sullivan potted the first red and missed a blue into the yellow pocket. On a break of 16, White missed a straight red to middle. After some safety play, White attempted a cut on a red into the right bottom pocket, which he missed but was lucky that the cue-ball ended up within the pack, forcing O’Sullivan to play safe. White made a mistake with his safety and left Ronnie a red which he cleared but he surprisingly ran out of position and had to play safe of the green. The scores were 43 – 16 to O’Sullivan. White was performing well and sticking to the task against the former World Champion. White potted a red along the bot...

Wednesday Morning Featured Match (2) - Report Written By Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team  Pang Junxu v Ding Junhui 4 – 2  Highest Break 84 – Junxu (Frame 3) Frame 1, Ding Junhui started off well with a break of 70 and should have had a century but missed a relatively easy red. Pang came to table needing one snooker + a free ball. During his break he potted the blue which meant he was 56 behind and needing more snookers. With the scores at 70 – 29 he potted the last red and tried to lay a snooker behind the yellow, ding escaped, Junxu potted the yellow and then tried to get a snooker in behind the brown on the green. Ding played a snooker behind the blue, Pang hit the brown and with the scores now 74 – 32, Pang was 42 behind with 25 on and needing 5 snookers. Ding failed to escape from one snooker, no free ball called. Ding laid yet another Snooker in attempt to close the frame out, but Pang hit the green. Eventually Ding potted green and Pang conceded. Ding...

Wednesday Morning  17th February 2021. Featured Match – Report by Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team  Matthew Stevens v Stephen Maguire 1 – 4 Highest Breaks 104 Maguire (Frame 2), 100 (Frame 5) Frame 1, Maguire broke off, Stevens missed a red which allowed Maguire an early chance to get his cue arm going, with the break on 24 he potted a difficult red into left centre to keep the break going. And again, he had nearly came unstuck at 40 but potted yet another tricky red into the left middle to keep on the black. With the break on 72, he took on a long red into the yellow pocket in an attempt to keep on the black for the maximum but missed it. Maguire went onto to make a further break of 24 to win the opener. Frame 2, after some excellent safety play, Maguire gave away a foul after he attempt to land on a red near the bottom cushion behind the black, he hit it the second time. The safety battle continued as Maguire got a nice flick off the brown to put Stevens...